Management Planning

The following is a summary of the CMS management planning approach but full details can be read by clicking on the link below.

CMS Management Planning Guidelines

Another very useful reference source is Mike Alexander's book “Management Planning for Nature Conservation: A Theoretical Basis and Practical Guide” which has now been published. See Amazon for further details. 

The Site Description

This is fundamentally a collation exercise. All relevant data are inserted and arranged under standard headings. This section does not call for the generation of data and need not be dependent on the completion of surveys or researches. Indeed, one of the functions of completing this section is to identify any short-fall in data.

The Planning Process

The CMS approach to management planning promotes the use of features as the focus for planning. All the features or important facets of the site or species must be identified. As features are a central part of Natura 2000 sites and other statutory designations, this has often already been done for the nature conservation elements of the site (e.g. Upland Oak Woods or the Marsh Fritillary butterfly). There will always be other non-statutory biological features like bluebells, but the plan will also deal with other aspects like Access and Recreation, Relationships with the local community or other stakeholders, Landscape and Wilderness Values or Interpretation. However, features may be turned off by the system administrator making objectives the focus of the plan.

Then an objective is written for each feature in turn. This is the desired state of that feature. Factors that enhance or threaten the long term status of the feature are then identified and these include natural trends, external factors, legal constraints and resource limitations. Limits are set for these factors allowing the factors to be monitored to see if they are continuing to affect the site, positively or negatively.

In order to quantify and monitor the feature, attributes are identified. Attributes for a woodland may be the size of the wood, the age structure of the trees or the amount of dead wood. If both the factors and attributes are within the defined limits, the site is within Favourable Conservation Status.

The Action Plan

It is now possible to identify all the work required to achieve the objectives. Projects are selected from a master list, which provides a unique standard title and code for each project. This allows projects to be readily compared across different sites and organisations. Each project may be linked to one or more prescriptions. Each project has a detailed plan where the work required is described, costed, scheduled for a particular time and who has to do the work identified.

Data Storage and Review

All work carried out on the site and all significant events are recorded under the appropriate project reports. Data arising from projects is stored and used for planning reviews. It is essential to review the management plan at predetermined intervals. The effectiveness of the plan must be measured by comparing achievement against the objectives. Given that five years is a relatively convenient period of time, and long enough to assess most objectives, management plans are usually subject to a major review at this interval. The plan should also have a minor review at annual intervals.

The state of key features of the site, measured by monitoring projects, may be reviewed on shorter time scales in order to respond to any departures from the acceptable limits of change.

Summary

1. Site or species description
2. Identify the features of that site or species
3. Vision for each feature (the objective)
4. Identification of the factors affecting each feature positively or negatively
5. Identification of the attributes of each feature which, when monitored, provide a useful indication of the condition of that feature
6. Identification of the management prescriptions and projects required to maintain each feature at or restore to favourable status
7. The detailed planning of each project
8. Carry out the plan and report on each project
9. Review and adapt the plan, if necessary, from the results of the monitoring and the management action

A logical and structured planning process is the only means of ensuring and demonstrating that management is both effective and efficient